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The Turnitin Workflow

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The Turnitin Workflow

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Troubleshooting Problems

The list below contains the most common problems encountered when using the Turnitin system, as well as the easy fixes that can be applied:

Providing a submission fallback when Turnitin is down

As Turnitin is a fully online system, there may be occasions when the service is not available (for example when undergoing maintenance or in case of other outages). In this instance, you will need to implement the fallback procedure below to allow students to submit work before the deadline without penalty.

  1. If students cannot submit to Turnitin because the system is down, they must email a copy their work via a OneDrive link directly to the tutor before the deadline to be marked as a first attempt.
  2. Before submitting for the student, you must ensure that there is a legitimate problem with the system. Please note that technical issues such as failure to upload work due to slow or lost internet connections, computer or browser incompatibility or inability to access a submission point which is confirmed as available are not valid reasons to initiate this fallback procedure. Tutors must check the Turnitin Status Page below to view information on outages and scheduled maintenance http://www.turnitin.com/self-service/system-status.htmlOpens in new window
  3. If an outage is confirmed, follow the procedure to upload on behalf of a student.
  4. Archive the email containing the original work and the file that was shared by the student to preserve the audit trail. This can then be used to confirm that work was submitted before the deadline.

Error Codes

  1. Invalid dates / incorrect setup. Check the assignment start date and time, and the due date and time. If the start date is in the future, students will be unable to submit. If the due date has already passed, students may also not be able to submit.
  2. API Login Failed. This indicates the use of an unsupported browser such as Safari, Microsoft Internet Explorer or Edge. Only Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox browsers are fully supported.

Originality Reports

  1. If students cannot access their originality report you should check the Turnitin assignment settings to ensure that the Allow students to view Originality Reports option is ticked.
  2. If the originality report not available yet, it may be because the assignment has just been submitted. It may take some time for the file to be processed, and an originality report created. During high demand periods, it can take up to 24 hours to produce a new originality report. If the assignment has already been submitted three times, it will take at least 24 hours for a new originality report to be created.